AUGUSTA, Maine — The man convicted of torching the topless coffee shop on Route 3 in Vassalboro is scheduled to be sentenced at 8:30 a.m. Monday, March 19, in Kennebec County Superior Court.
Raymond Bellavance Jr. of Wintrhop faces up to 30 years in prison.
His sentence most likely will be long because of his extensive criminal record, most of which was not revealed to the jury, and because there were two infants living in the building — a former motel — that housed the coffee shop. The 21 months he has been at the Kennebec County Jail unable to make bail and awaiting trial would be applied to his sentence.
Last week, Superior Court Justice Michaela Murphy, who presided over the trial and will impose a sentence, denied defense attorney Andrews Campbell’s motion for a new trial. Campbell, of Bowdoinham, said late Thursday in an email that the case would be appealed to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court after Bellavance is sentenced.
The jury on Dec. 30 found Bellavance guilty of two counts of arson. One alleged that he deliberately set the blaze on June 3, 2009, at the Grand View Topless Coffee Shop to cause damage. The other alleged he recklessly endangered a person or property.
The owner, Donald Crabtree, who now lives in Greenbush, his two daughters, their boyfriends and their infants lived at the former motel.
Bellavance maintained his innocence throughout his 10-day jury trial in Kennebec County Superior Court.
This whole bizarre episode affair certainly proves conclusively that customers at Maine coffee shops are incapable of handling topless waitresses.
Yup…. and testosterone is caused by depression, occasionally induced by coffee brandy. Actually the testosterone that makes men grow little beards is also caused by anxiety which is a result of lite beer and incontinence.
Words from one who knows??? ;>D
Nah. The doctors have taken away caffeinated coffee and chocolate ice cream and nudity just cracks me up especially in donut shops,hardware stores, etc. Now, naked OLD people can be
useful for things like diet workshops. Hell, one look and you’ll want to reconsider eating altogether.
LOL! And don’t forget ED, often caused by rejection! :)
Here is a good sentence!
Dress him up in a Topless playboy Bunny out fit!
Light the Bunny Tail on Fire.
Set up a Hot cup of coffee 1/2 mile away to put the fire out with!
Time to pay the piper Ray. 20 years ought to be enough.
No great loss to society. Long criminal record and arson could have killed some people. I think if the jury had known about the long criminal record they might have wanted a longer sentence. You cannot own another person. Any man that thinks he can is a danger to himself and society.
Arson=very bad
burning down a coffee shop=Life changing
I dont know what id if the coffee shop near me got burnt down, id be going into work like a zombie i rekn. theres a guy who runs http://www.gio-espresso.co.uk and http://www.gio-kitchen.co.uk who had a coffee shop in my town, it got burnt down by some faulty electrics in the next building and the electrician who wired it got 3 months in jail. I imagine this guys going down for a while longer.